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Johor Bahru police have arrested eight people, including a 16-year-old, following raids targeting a synthetic drug distribution network. Officers seized various controlled substances from locations across the city.
Indonesian authorities arrested a 34-year-old Singaporean man in Jakarta on July 17 after raiding a house in the upscale Pantai Indah Kapuk area where etomidate vapes were being manufactured and distributed.
Malaysia's Home Ministry is escalating enforcement against synthetic drugs, deploying advanced technology and launching mass awareness campaigns as arrests for drug-related offences reach nearly a quarter million.
Malaysia recorded 141,817 synthetic drug abuse cases last year, with amphetamine-type stimulants dominating the crisis. The east coast faces the most severe situation, while dangerous fentanyl presence is emerging.
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Police have seized 402 vape products containing dangerous synthetic drugs including MDMA and methamphetamine, providing strong grounds for a comprehensive vape ban, Malaysia's Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad says.